If we ever achieve a self-sustaining, controlled fusion reaction we will have basically harnessed the power of the stars. A new breakthrough, published yesterday by the University of Twente in the Netherlands has brought us closer than ever to that lofty goal.

The basic problem of nuclear fusion is that it occurs at incredibly high temperatures. The plasma at the heart of a reactor in which the process takes place can reach 150 million degrees Celsius. That kind of heat needs a strong force to control it, something on the order of a magnetic field 13 of teslas in strength. Basically, the forces and stresses inside a fusion reactor are crazy-strong and they tend to wear out any equipment that they come into contact with pretty dang quick. That's where the new breakthrough comes into play: weaving.